I'm a huge Sabine Durrant fan but have to say that I was a little disappointed by this one. It started off so well with the rescue of Josh off the Greek coast but then seemed to go off the boil a little bit. I found all the main characters unlikeable which didn't bother me but I would have liked a little more development of the "who, what, when, where and why" parts of the plot. And the ending felt rushed. I had worked out the twist very early on so wasn't surprised when it came about, just a bit gutted that more wasn't made of that side of things! Beautifully written as always but not my favourite of her books.

Title: Take Me In
Author: Sabine Durrant
Publisher: Mulholland Books
ISBN-10: 147360835X
ISBN-13: 978-1473608351
Date of Publication: 28th June 2018
Date of Review: 19th March 2018

Synopsis

A hot beach. A young family on holiday. A fatal moment of inattention...And now Dave Jepsom is in their lives. Dave Jepsom, with his muscles, his pale eyes, his expressionless face. He saved their child. How can they ever repay him? Especially as what he seems to want in return is everything. He's in the streets they walk down. He's at the office where they work. He's at their front door, leaning on the bell...If only they could go back. Back to when the lies were still hidden. Before the holiday, before the beach, before the moment that changed everything. Before Dave. But it's never how it starts that matters. It's always how it ends.


My Review

I’ve had another novel by this author on my TBR for a while (Lie With Me) so when I received the Advance Reader Copy for Take Me In, which is due for publication 28th June 2018, I couldn’t wait to read and review this.

The first thing to stand out for me was its dual first-person narrative which is told through the perspectives of Tessa (the mother) and Marcus (the father). This immediately made me think of Gone Girl.

The story starts with the couple arriving on holiday with their young son. Time for them to spend quality time together and mend their failing marriage. Marcus is the first character the reader gets to know. Although written from his own perspective, he is portrayed as selfish, lazy, and a bit of a wet blanket. After settling on the beach on the first day of their holiday, Tessa has gone to the toilets to change into her swimming costume, leaving Marcus to keep an eye on their young son, Josh. Instead of doing that, Marcus dozes off as he relaxes on the beach; when Josh toddles off down to the sea, it is left to a stranger (Dave) to save him from drowning. But is Tessa completely blameless in all of this?

Marcus and Tessa are both eternally grateful for Dave’s actions but as time progresses we see that Dave isn’t who he’s portrayed himself to be. The story centres around the inner conflict of both Marcus and Tessa and the inadequacies they feel about themselves. The novel is full of unlikeable and unreliable characters and the plot ping-pongs between which of the first-person narrators the reader empathises with. By the end of the book I was left feeling Marcus wasn’t such a drip and Tessa wasn’t the innocent devoted wife and mother, as I originally thought.

True to it’s genre, the novel is full of red herrings. The final twist took me by surprise, which is quite something, a first for me actually!

I enjoyed this book and, as a bookaholic, I would buy the hard-copy book when it comes out in June even though I have read the pre-publication Kindle version. I would recommend this book for anybody who likes Louise Jensen, Gillian Flynn, Clare Mackintosh.

Right, I’m off to read lie With Me this author’s other novel patiently waiting on my TBR.

I give this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

Their life looks perfect but both of them are hiding secrets and their inattention nearly leads to tragedy. Their gratitude for the saviour soon turns to something sourer.
An intelligent psychological thriller that unravels slowly with great tension.

Thanks to NetGalley for this book.

Mixed feelings here. On the one hand, an interesting idea. On the other hand, two main characters that both lack what it takes to become really alive, and one main character that was as flat as a newspaper.
It is not that I was bored with the book. It is very well written and I wanted to keep reading to see whether anything interesting would happen. But all the scenes where people are just sitting together talking about absolutely nothing - and this includes Marcus' stories about his work - didn't do it for me. I don't like people that are selling hot air and I cannot imagine how you can live with yourself when you make a living out of it.
Marcus is too weak to my taste and Tessa keeps on jabbering about how she is not a good housewife. What is the definition of a good housewife? And if you don't want to be one, go and find a job and a sitter for the child. Everybody happy.
Dave Jepsom promised to be an interesting figure but we learn nothing about his motives which would have made the story better.

Another brilliant novel from Sabine Durrant. I love her psychological thrillers because they are always unexpected- her central themes are always fascinating and her characters always brilliantly divisive.

In this novel every parents worst nightmare almost comes to pass- if not for the intervention of a stranger a tragedy would ensue -.however what he wants in return may be too much to provide.

I won't say more than that because I wouldn't want to spoil it but as ever the plotting is taut, disturbing and addictive. The author weaves a beautifully twisted tale of family dynamics and outside influences, of assumptions and errors and keeps you immersed throughout.

I'm a fan. Highly recommended.

Fuller review nearer publication on Liz Loves Books.

An utterly compelling psychological thriller that had me gripped from the first page. Take Me In is a brilliant character study of two people who don’t know how to get out of the cycle of their own destruction and self-sabotage.

On a family vacation in Greece, Marcus and Tessa momentarily lose sight of their three-year old son. Josh nearly drowns, but is rescued by Dave. And now Dave is in their lives, following them, showing up unexpectedly at their house, appearing at their work. And then suddenly their lives start to disintegrate, and they can’t help but wonder if it’s Dave who’s responsible.

Sinister and foreboding, the creepy thing about this book is how it could actually happen. The writing is beautifully descriptive and eloquent, while the characters are so real I felt like I could actually meet them outside the nursery, or in the course of a day at work. Despite their flaws, I really felt sorry for both of them and completely understood why they made the choices that they did (as wrong as they were!). Fast-paced and riveting, Take Me In is a story of secrets and lies, betrayals and treachery that you won’t soon forget.

Marcus and Tessa are on holiday with their three year old son, Josh, when a moment’s inattention on the beach leads to a frightening incident and suddenly, Josh’s life is in danger. Thank goodness a nearby stranger, Dave Jepsom, is there when it matters to save him. Naturally, Tessa and Marcus are overcome with gratitude. But it doesn’t end there.

Because when they get back home, suddenly Dave’s popping up all over the place. He’s a little over-familiar, a little unsettling, generally a little odd. He doesn’t fit into their lives, but he seems determined to be there nevertheless. And at the same time things in Marcus and Tessa’s world are starting to go a bit, then a lot, pear-shaped. Is it just a run of bad luck, or is Dave Jepsom - the life-saver - really a danger to their family?

Take Me In is very well written and builds a nicely sinister sense of uncertainty and foreboding. There’s doubt throughout as to how much of the threat is external and how much is created by Marcus and Tessa’s own guilts, insecurities and the clearly pre-existing deep cracks in their marriage. As things unravel the story builds to a dangerous climax; however, I was left a little disappointed by the ending, and the identity of the threat came as no great surprise.

Overall, like Sabine Durrant’s other novels this was a very enjoyable read which I would recommend, even if, for me at least, the ending was a little unsatisfying.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Professional and effective unraveling of emotive story .. a marriage falling apart, and suspicion and betrayals, insecurities that all your up into a knot until disaster happens. Switching back and forth between husband and wife as first person, carefully dove tailing action expertly, there was a little sense of tour de force creeping in for me .. but I galloped ahead. It's the involvement of a child that raises the stakes. Really smart and gripping

My first read of a Sabine Durrant novel and having finished it I was immediately looking to see what else she had written. I love this type of book, a psychological thriller full of suspense and great characters. The story is so well paced and the reader is hooked from the start and the suspense just grows and grows.
Tessa and Marcus are relaxing on the beach on a family holiday when they take their eyes off three-year-old son Josh for a few minutes and he almost drowns. Thankfully Josh is saved by a stranger, Dave Jepson who is on the beach with his own family. Feeling guilty Tessa and Marcus spend the rest of the holiday with Josh's saviour and promise to keep in touch with him afterwards. Once back home family life goes back to normal until both Tessa and Marcus feel that they are been stalked by Dave Jepson. The situation is not helped by Tessa's secrets and Marcus' insecurities which threaten to rip their family life apart.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Hodder & Stoughton for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I read Durrant's Lie With Me last year and although I wasn't thrilled by it, there were elements that drew me in so when I saw Take Me In on Netgalley I requested it.

Take Me In is about a middle class couple, Tessa and Marcus, whose marriage is on the brink. They have a 3 year old son, Josh, a beautiful home in London and highflying friends. When they go on their family holiday to Greece, an incident happens which starts to unravel their lives as they know it.
Josh nearly drowns in the sea after both his parents' attention is elsewhere. A stranger, Dave Epsom, rescues Josh from near death and even as he brings him in from the sea something about him unsettled Marcus and Tessa.
After that traumatic event Dave Epsom becomes a prominent figure in their lives, whether they want him to or not. This hero seems to make them questions themselves and more than that; what he wants from them.

Take Me In is told in alternative chapters from the perspective of Tessa and Marcus. This was good as it allowed the reader to get an insight into both of their minds and was also crucial with how certain events played out. From the thoughts of both of these characters it is clear that their marriage is unhappy and they both seem to be responsible for this. In fact it is not until about 3/4 way through the book that I even felt like they actually cared about or loved each other even slightly. There were some references to the fact that they might have loved each other once upon a time but it takes a long time to be sure there is any still there. Because of that, I found that I did not care about their relationship or whether it worked out which I would have if it had been evident throughout that there was substance between them. At some points I was like ugghhh seriously guys you're pathetic... Although I guess it was realistic it was tiring and tedious to read at times.

Neither of the main characters were particularly likeable and were most of the time rather annoying. Again this made me feel detached and I hadn't invested myself in caring about what happened to either of them. The one thing that kept me reading was the persistent though sometimes minuscule suggestions that something very big and life changing was about to take place. Dave Epsom is a recurring feature in their lives and with him he brings constant uncertainty as well as a threat of danger. It wasn't until about halfway through the book that anything remarkable actually took place and from there the pace picked up slightly.

The last quarter of the book was definitely the most intriguing. After truths have come out and Tessa and Marcus have to confront both of their dishonesties and lack of effort in the relationship; things start to get slightly more interesting. The final act is a confrontation on their family and whether they can survive it is the real question.
I felt there was a lot of promise and suggestion of a big twist or momentous event to come but I was somewhat disappointed when it did. I found the end quite messy and a bit of a let down.
A lot of the book I had to force myself through because it focused on one's career which I found boring and the other's betrayal which I found even more boring. There was a lot of hints and undercurrents of something of substance which never really came. For a thriller it wasn't particularly thrilling and in a way the ending reminded me of Lie With Me.

Meh. That is all I could think while reading this book. As opposed to Lie With Me (five stars for that one!), these main characters were not well-developed, or consistent or even slightly interesting.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

Another fantastic thriller from Durrant. Thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish - it kept me guessing and I was really drawn in to the characters' lives. Great stuff!

Sometimes all it takes is one incident,one unexpected event that starts a domino effect and suddenly your world is collapsing around you faster than a tower of playing cards.

A hot beach. A young family on holiday. A fatal moment of inattention...

And now Dave Jepsom is in their lives.

Dave Jepsom, with his muscles, his pale eyes, his expressionless face.

He saved their child. How can they ever repay him? Especially as what he seems to want in return is everything.

He's in the streets they walk down. He's at the office where they work. He's at their front door, leaning on the bell...

If only they could go back. Back to when the lies were still hidden. Before the holiday, before the beach, before the moment that changed everything.

Before Dave.

But it's never how it starts that matters. It's always how it ends.

The chapter headings of this gripping thriller alternate between him and her.I was puzzled why the chapters weren't titled Marcus and Tessa but it all makes sense when you get to the final intense chapters.This is a fascinating character study of a couple who are so selfish,self centred and have such a high sense of their own importance that when their lives start to fall apart it was hard to feel any sympathy for either of them.I felt a lot of sympathy for poor little Josh and also for another character but I can't go into too much detail without giving away spoilers.The secondary characters in this story where a mixed bag of well developed,realistic but mainly unlikable,untrustworthy personalities.

It's a fast paced,riveting,well written tale of secrets,lies,social judgements,mistakes and misconceptions that had me hooked in from the first page.The tension builds as the story unfolds,you know that a confrontation is going to occur and when it does it is shocking and intense.The final chapters are ingeniously written,you really have to concentrate and follow the words carefully and the ending is definitely a OMG,WTF moment.This is the first book that I have read by this author and it most definitely won't be my last.

This is my third book by Sabine Durrant and she is fast becoming one of my favourite psychological thriller writers.  Take Me In is a seriously creepy story which I devoured within a day.  

The blurb above explains what the book is about, but what is doesn't convey is how tense and gripping the story is.  Told through alternating chapters Tessa and Marcus weave a wonderful story full of lies, deceit and secrets that once uncovered threaten to blow their marriage and lives apart.  I felt like a rubber necker watching a car crash unfold during this book as you could see this young family about to self-destruct through guilt.

There are so many elements to this story, Tessa's background, secrets and guilt, Marcus' insecurities and work concerns, the creepy Dave Jepsom whose appearance in their lives is menacing and worrying.

If you enjoy fast-paced, knicker-gripping, nail-biting, tense stories that leave you breathless and gasping - then I would definitely recommend Take Me In.